AN OPEN LETTER TO KEBBI STATE GOVERNOR

Your Excellency,
Sen. Alhaji Abubakar Atiku Bagudu,
Government House,
Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria.

"All of you are shepherds and all of you will be queried about all your subjects"~Prophet Muhammad

It is with great concern that I write this letter to you, I am not sure it will reach you but my believe in the power of 'share button' made me zealous to pick my writing materials. If however it reaches you, please note that I desire nothing personal but an effective change in the basic educational sector in Kebbi state.

I quoted Prophet Muhammad not because I doubt your knowledge of Islam but to remind you that, you will be asked before Allah about all the people of Kebbi.

Just like every concerned indigene, I expressed my deepest sympathy and great empathy with all Kebbi students who failed WAEC, NECO and other exams in the years; 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Over the years, apparent unabated failure and poor performance of Kebbi students were recorded in these examinations due to several challenges facing teachers and students and thereby affects the teaching and learning system entirely.

It is no worth saying that, while other states have performed progressively in these years, Kebbi has comfortably sat at the rear list of poor performing states, most especially in WAEC. For instance, Cross River State has risen from 29th to 2nd in NECO, Taraba state from 21st to 8th and Abia and Anambara always revolving the 1st position whilst Kebbi comfortably maintained 32nd position for years.

We have seen your commitments in the fields of Agriculture, Health and Electricity. However, basic educational reformation must be carried out to save the future of Kebbi state.

It is a wide believe amongst humans that, he who needs good have to give out the best for you get what you gives out. To save the future of the state, late payment of primary school teachers must stop, they should undergo capacity developing workshops either annually or biennially, leaf grants must be fully paid, teachers should be well motivated and their welfare should be improved and all retirees should be settled. Your excellency, I wish to inform you that, alot of schools have no staff quarters and even those with quarters need complete rehabilitation.

Your excellency! You cannot put a crown on a clown and expect a king, proper teachers audit should be carried out to ascertain the quality and qualification of all the teaching staff in the state, those who needs to further their education should be released and those who lack teaching requisite should be transferred to other sectors.

Your excellency, whilst I commend your government for beautifying measure streets withing the state capital with lights, I wish to bluntly inform you that most schools in the state lack infrastructures, alot of secondary schools in rural areas have no Science Laboratories while most schools in towns lack laboratory apparatuses. What you read you may forget but what you practice lasts forever. Secondary education needs to be taken from 'read and pass' stage to the 'read and practice' stage. Our technical schools need total revolution.

Your excellency, days have gone when teaching is a pride in the state, teachers were no more celebrated and given things for free even in local environments. Nowadays, primary school teachers feel shy to address themselves as nation builders in public gatherings, we must build that confidence into our teachers to get the desired result.

For every administration that wants to leave any legacy, education is the best for it gives the children of the poor just like you the chance to rise above their birth condition.

Your excellency, with less than a year to the end of your first tenure as governor of Kebbi state, the good people of this state that brought you in office still expect progressive change. There are schools in the state, what they need is teachers and teaching materials.

Lastly and most importantly, while I pray for your success and Allah's guidance, I wish to advise you to set aside all campaign and political locomotion, attend to this most important matter, pay WAEC and NECO fees to save students from losing admissions into tertiary institutions and I assure you that these students, teachers, families and friends will be the vanguards of your campaign rallies.

Yours In Struggle For Better Kebbi,
Habibu Usman Bawa
Habibuusmanbawa@gmail
Fakai Local Government.